A lesson for living
by Miss Megz
Summary: It's modern times and Rin is still alive, no this isn't an alternate universe, and Rin has agreed to tell a story about her lord. This is a oneshot!


Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but this idea is mine!

Please review! I love reviews!

Rin sighed and looked at the coffee in front of her. The one she didn't even want but the man across from her was nice enough to buy it. Her black hair she had let it grow long, like Sesshoumaru's.

"Please Miss Rin. I want to hear the story," the man pleaded. Rin simply shook her head. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek.

"I can not," Rin looked at the cup again and watched the steam rise.

"I understand that but I don't understand the why," the man sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"You can never understand and neither can anyone else. No human or demon," her gaze switched to out the window where the sun gleamed against the windows of the cars parked across the street of the little café.

"I know that but your story is one for all the demons and humans. Whether they take it seriously or they let it pass into fiction for all eternity," the man begged her with his eyes. Rin sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Fine; I will tell you. If you interrupt once, I will stop and my story will end with me," Rin opened her eyes, her brown eyes showing no signs of her real age.

"Thank you," the man smiled.

"It was centuries ago. My guess is around five hundred. Give or take a decade or two. It was the feudal era of Japan and I was still traveling with Lord Sesshoumaru then. Before, it all was destroyed. Not by Naraku mind you. It was destroyed by someone else.

Let me reminisce on my lost Lord for a moment. His silence, the command he always seemed to have. Such calmness to him that no one could begin to comprehend. I doubt he had even begun to comprehend. Many feared or respected him. To this day I do not know which. He took me in, an orphaned girl who was wanted only by death. His sword could bring back the dead to living world. He did that for me. From that moment I traveled beside him, content to watch his silver hair move freely in the wind. The sound of his sword as it hit the sheath of the one beside it was the most comforting sound in the world to me. Jaken always called me useless or silly but no such things ever came from Lord Sesshoumaru's mouth. When he talked, it wasn't to just jabber on like everyone else did and does. He talked to talk and when he was done, he close his mouth and would not respond to anyone. Inuyasha found it annoying but I loved it.

'Quiet Rin,' never passed through his lips. It was always was silence and he only said it once. Jaken jabbered on. In some ways, he still does.

Enough on Lord Sesshoumaru. I fear that if I continue that I won't have the strength enough to tell the rest of the story and how it has affected me so. I remember the day so completely that every now and then I forget it happened centuries ago and not just moments ago.

That day is the one I come to. That day is the only thing this who story is based on. Never forget that. I'll go on to it now. Or rather, how it begun.

Lord Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were of course fighting but this day was different. My lord was more cautious and slightly distracted. Almost as if he was expecting something to happen but wasn't sure when it was going to happen. Inuyasha laughed as he watched Lord Sesshoumaru occasionally glanced at the circle of mountains that no longer exists. There was something there but I just couldn't pick up the subtle hints at the time. To me now, it is obvious and a wonder I missed it; even as a child. Inuyasha was about to hit Lord Sesshoumaru with the Wind Scar when something happened in the centre of the circled mountains. Everyone headed towards it. No one expected it to be good. It wasn't.

'What the hell is that?' Inuyasha had asked when they all came closer. No one answered him. My lord knew. In a way, I guess, he always did. There in the circle were hundreds of demons all looking at us, or rather, Lord Sesshoumaru. Lord Sesshoumaru knew who they were for he went extremely pale. Such a feat improbable for someone already so pale. The demons down there smiled the terrible smiles that only the dead can manage. Despite the dread, well all walked down there. No one wanted to; it was almost as if our legs were listening to a different source now.

'Sesshoumaru. It has been a long time,' one of the dead demons grinned.

'Not nearly long enough,' Lord Sesshoumaru answered gripping the Tensaiga's hilt tightly. They laughed hard and long.

'That blade can not harm us. We are not undead, simply dead,' one laughed. Sesshoumaru did not let go of the hilt however. I would have been surprised if he had. Inuyasha didn't bother to redraw the Tetsaiga. Again, I would have been surprised if he had.

'What purpose do you have with my lord?' Jaken demanded.

'We have just come to get him. He should have died those centuries ago with us,' one answered. All of us turned to Lord Sesshoumaru who was silent. They laughed again that terrible laugh.

'It is not my fault or my problem that I had survived,' Lord Sesshoumaru simply put.

'Too true but still this is the anniversary and They are out there, once more looking for dog demons to continue what was started,' one looked past Lord to the open plains behind the mountains. No one of use dared to glance, in fear that these dead dog demons would attack. They didn't though. 'Now we need to kill you Sesshoumaru or take that little girl. Either works,' they smiled and I wanted to run away. To everyone's surprise, Lord Sesshoumaru walked over to me and picked me up.

'You're despicable Sesshoumaru! You'll give up that little girl just to save your own skin!' Inuyasha yelled. I wasn't scared. I trusted Lord Sesshoumaru. He walked over to Inuyasha, me still in his arms and just dropped me into Inuyasha's.

'Watch over her Inuyasha or I will come back to haunt you,' Sesshoumaru threatened. I think that moment was when we all understood what Sesshoumaru was going to do.

'No!' I cried out, 'I'll go but please don't you go my lord!' He looked at me and I saw such kindness in his eyes. It was a sorrowful kindness though. He pulled the Tensaiga, sheathe and all, and handed it to me. I believe I started to cry. Even Inuyasha was getting just a little upset.

'My little Rin, this is what has to be done. I can not give you up and I would rather die a painful death than watch you die,' he never took his eyes off of me. I felt so special just for him to call me his little Rin. Gently he put the Tensaiga into my hands. 'I give you the most precious gift a demon can give. I give you the gift of life Rin. Don't misuse it,' he gripped my tiny hands into his big ones. His claws just barely touching my skin. 'When this is all over Rin, I want you to remember to live,' he smiled a small smile. It was all for me and it suited him so well. I forgot his entire face that moment but that smile is burned forever into my memory. He turned and started to walk away. Inuyasha and everyone else turned and started to walk out of the circle.

'No! No! Lord Sesshoumaru!' I cried over and over again but not once did he look at me though. I can't really blame him at all. I remember burying my face into Inuyasha's haori and just crying and crying. I heard Lord Sesshoumaru draw a blade from a hidden sheathe.

'Back to hell you all will go. I will take you there myself,' his voice rang through the area and then the dead dog demons started crying out and lights appeared in the circle and then the light faded and there was only silence. Inuyasha covered his nose with his free hand and I knew he could smell Lord Sesshoumaru's blood. I looked up at Inuyasha begging him silently to know.

'He killed himself. Sesshoumaru wouldn't let 'em kill him and have They, whoever They are, win. It was the best way he could go,' Inuyasha told me. I held onto him tight.

'Yes, it was. Lord Sesshoumaru was too good to have them kill him,' I sniffled but my tears were drying up and once more I felt like me only a little stronger. I thought about what Lord Sesshoumaru said to me and I felt truly privileged. The gift of life. Only in the years to come would I understand the fullness of that gift.

We stayed in a nearby village but during the night, Inuyasha and the others left to take Lord Sesshoumaru and burn his body. Inuyasha said once the next day that Lord Sesshoumaru always hated the idea of being buried, this way, he would never rot in the ground and he could see the world, like he always wanted to do. I remember watching them sneak off and how badly I wanted to go and just see Lord Sesshoumaru one last time. Now, I am glad I didn't.

Inuyasha and the others came to me the next morning with a bag of Lord Sesshoumaru ashes.

'You should have these Rin,' Kaogme smiled. Silently I took the bag and opened it. No one stopped me. I threw the ashes into the wind and watched as what was left of Lord Sesshoumaru was whisked away.

'Lord Sesshoumaru is free to wander, like he always wanted to but never could,' I commented then walked inside the hut. Jaken was squawking and crying out; upset about what I done. I didn't care. I knew that Lord Sesshoumaru would like what I had down. 'I did that for you my lord. My gift to you,' I muttered.

The years passed and I noticed how much slower I aged and knew fully the gift he had given me. I have a demon's lifespan. I will live to see more empires rise and crumble as I already have. Lord Sesshoumaru never once visited me in my dreams. I never expected him to. He did leave me something though. In my journeys once I found his haori and the swords that he hid with a spell. He was giving them to me. Even to this day, I still have those just as I still have the Tensaiga.

That is the end. I have told the story I have meant to tell, never once straying from my objective. Lord Sesshoumaru told me once to never forget to live so I continue on doing my priestessly duties and do the best I can to teach others the same lesson my lord taught me." Rin sighed and leaned back into her chair, watching the man across from her. Her cup of coffee nearly empty.

"That's it?" he asked.

"That's it," Rin nodded and moved to stand up.

"That can't be it," he argued.

"This is a futile argument. That is it and now, if you don't mind. Inuyasha and Kagome are waiting for me. It's little Mai's birthday and I promised I would be there," Rin stood up, only once looking at the man before walking away. The man watched her walk away then looked at the tape recorder and shut it off. That was the end and once more her lord will live though her and once more will he have a voice and a name no longer lost to the ages.


End file.
